ph. d. workshop how to deliver a good research talk

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Ph. D. WorkshopHow to Deliver a Good Research Talk

Khaled Negm, Ph.D., SMIEEE, CISM, GIAC, ACMRegional Technology Director, ISS-ME


Meta-Targets & Objectives keep audience’s interest and attention convey technical material communicate a key idea of work convince audience to read your paper

Non-Targets & Objectives show people how good you are expect audience to understand most key details of your work

Targets and Objectives


Planning Stages

Structuring Your Talk

Slides Preparation The Do’s The Don’ts

At the Talk The Do’s The Don’ts

Remarks

Outline


Know your audience What is their background?

general CS (or EE) somewhat specialized audience highly specialized audience

If someone has spoken before you Look at paper/abstract of relevant talks that preceded yours Prepare to use context provided

Planning Stages


If possible schedule your talk at 10:00 most people are awake few have gone back to sleep

Bad times to schedule talk right before lunch since the audience is thinking about food after lunch since the audience is more likely to be sleepy late afternoon since people will be running out of steam

Best to have room that will be comfortably crowded

Scheduling


Use a top-down approach Introduction: define problem and present a “carrot”, put in

context, Body: high level summary of key results Technicalities: more depth into a key result Conclusion: review key results, wrap up, give future work

Structuring Your Talk


Define the Problem minimize use of terminology use pictures/examples/props if possible

Motivate the audience (give a “carrot”) why is problem important? how does it fit into larger picture? what are applications?

Discuss related work table useful (mention authors and dates)

Provide a road-map (outline)

The Introduction


Abstract the key results focus on a central, exciting concept

Explain significance of your work

Sketch methodology of key ideas keep it high-level, emphasizing structure use pictures/diagrams if possible provide intuition (helpful when someone later reads your

paper) gloss over technical details

The Body


Take key result (or part of it) and go into some depth

Guide audience through difficult ideas (usually for longer talks) give overview state result show an example Review

The Technicalities


Provide a coherent synopsis

Review key contributions and why they are important

Discuss open problems/future work

Indicate your talk is over. (For example, “Thank you. Are there any questions?”)

Be ready to answer questions If there are points you glossed over that you expect the

audience may be interested in, you may want to prepare some transparencies.

The Conclusion


Decide what you want to say and say less!

Allow an average of 1.5–2 minutes for each transparency

Use Repetition “Tell them what you’re going to tell them. Tell them. Then tell

them what you told them.” Realize that 20% of your audience at any given time is

thinking about something else

Use Pictures/diagrams whenever you can

Transparency Preparation—Do’s


Use a large font (at least 20 pt)

Make neat/orderly transparencies (computer-generated preferable)

Use color/animation (in a meaningful way)

You need not use full sentences

Transparency Prep—Do’s (cont’d)


Number your transparencies

Write reminders, key phrases, etc. on paper

Check your spelling

If you use a transparency more than once, duplicate it



PRACTICE! give a practice for your colleagues, advisor, friends, pets, etc. be ready to redo all your transparencies practice again be sure that all your material projects on the screen make sure it does not take too much time (Beware PowerPoint’s timer!)



Overload transparencies

Intend to use too many transparencies

Put some detail on the slide that you do not want to talk about

Get bogged down in details

Transparency Preparation—Don’ts


Show complex equations

Show code (even LISP/Scheme)

Have a transparency that introduces a point that you are unsure of (unless you want to give the audience a chance to attack you)

Present last minute results (they are probably wrong)

Write messy, write too small, misspell words

Transparency Preparation—Don’ts


Dress appropriately—this shows respect for your audience

Have eccentricity (but not too extreme) make it fun/easy for people to remember you extreme eccentricity is bad for younger people

At the Talk—Do’s


Be EXCITED about your work!

Remind; don’t assume

If you assume a standard result, provide the audience with a brief

Talk with Sufficient Volume

Make eye contact and “read” the audience Change victims

Be with the audience Walk toward and away from the people as well as left and right to

break down implicit barrier

At the Talk—Do’s (cont’d)


Point to the screen, not transparency/computer monitor Use a pointer, not hand/pen

Bring props

Ask real and rhetorical questions to keep audience engaged

Deflect obstructionists tell them you’d like to talk to them after the talk (about the

interesting point made) because the point is a detail, tangential, has a long answer, you need to think about it, etc.

End on time!

At the Talk—Do’s (cont’d)


Talk too softly, mumble, or speak in a monotone voice, use “um”, “ah”, ...

Read your transparencies

Focus attention on the screen—you’ll end up talking to the screen vs. the audience

Stand so that you block the projection

Mention a detail/point you don’t want to talk about

Darken the room (unless necessary to see) since it entices audience to sleep

Babble on when you have nothing to say

Run over time

At the Talk—Don’ts


Follow the guidelines provided here

Take every opportunity you can to give talks (and thus get practice and feedback)

Remember that the guidelines for structuring your talk must be adapted to each specific talk

Preparing a good talk takes time; do not expect to throw it together last minute

Practice for colleagues, etc. to get feedback

AND: you will give better talks and reap the rewards that follow

Remarks

ph. d. workshop how to deliver a good research talk

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